Find a car that you think you may like, describe it here, and we'll offer you our opinions. Easiest way.

I for one am sceptical about low mileage examples of these. That means they either drove mostly short distances and spent a lot of time idling (ruining the engine) or were barely driven at all (ruining all other mechanicals - dampers, transmission and gearbox oil, seals, all bearings and bushes...). I would consider a car from the inland; if it is a dry climate, even better. Stay away from coastal cars. Also, if it spent its time gathering miles on the open road, there is far less likely to be wrong with it.

 

Get your head underneath the car. Look at those CV boots!

Check the blowby (unscrew the oil cap but leave it on) to see how the compression is. If it jiggles a tiny bit or doesn't move it all, it's a winner! If it looks like the cap is gonna fly off, walk away!

Make sure it doesn't shift too smooth. Shifting a little rough is ok, it just means the transmission needs adjustment

Other common problems:
-vacuum (door locks, heater, tranny shifting)
-window switches, motors
-front-end components

If you're going to get one of these, you could easily spend $2k in the first 6 months on parts alone unless it has been regularly maintained. Prepare for that!

 

Welcome, NBK, these guys are gr8 here, very knowing, w lots of experience. One of Kiplingers 10 cars you can't kill, the old reliable w123!

Along w what the other guys have told you, don't fall in love w the 1st one you see. You can easily drive a rust free one for another 10 yrs. You'll probably want something else before you wear it out. With me if no one hits me or steals it, I'll just keep replacing parts.

In my one diesel mag they're making a doomsday vehicle out of a Suburban w a mechanical Cummins. The thinking is if we get nuked all the electronic cars won't run. These cars should survive a worst case senario. These cars are tanks, in my case, the last car I'll possibly need to buy.

The folks here have all the tips & answers to just do that! Take your time in your selection, make sure it's a color you can live with as well. Another option is making your own biodiesel if you so choose, I hope to do that. Also, don't let an older person try & pull the wool over your eyes. Take your Father on another older person if you can.

Good luck in your selection process,
Dave:thumbsup:

 

Welcome to your new addiction.

Folks here are knowledgeable and helpful.

Don't let the low miles bother you, I bought a 19 year old example with 83,000 on it, wonderful.

As mentioned, take your time.

Maybe a member here would be close by to an example, ask and perhaps someone will check it out for you. Enter your location too.

Check under the battery tray for rust, a common overlooked area.

Keep us updated.

 

Everything they said, plus check all rubber components(motor mounts, belts, door and window seals etc. Ask if the windows leak.

 

Ask nothing. The owner wants to sell the car, and he/she will tell any white lie to do so, even the old "I hate to sell this car, but..."

Insist on a test drive. And that means requesting to start the car yourself. If it needs throttle to start, or to be "revved right", steer clear. If there are tricks to starting it, steer clear. If the key doesn't need to be in the ignition, steer clear.

The list goes on and on about what could be wrong - instead, use common sense, even if it's someone else's.

 

Friends that have had W123's said what killed them was the rust. I plan on keeping mine oiled. Should be good for the rubber too.

 

Before you start it open the hood and feel if the valve cover is cold - you should want to start it cold so to get a feel for how it runs cold. If it starts right up when cold with only 1-glow then it is a good sign that it has been well maintained. Often when cars start rough, the person selling it will warm it up first; you'll want to avoid this and can even ask them if you can come over sometime before it is started/used for the day. This is also a good time to check for excessive smoke.

Don't forget to glow it first

checking under the battery tray for rust is a great idea, but will require some tools - also owners don't like it when you bust out tools to tear apart their car... That said however, ask them what you would like to do, but walk away if he says no (it's a red flag). There is often rust under the battery tray - sometimes it looks worse than it really is and you can "repair" it yourself, though it takes a certain amount of discernment to tell what is really bad. So if there is rust but it doesn't look too bad, you can still use it as a bargaining point

Check all the jack-holes for rust and don't be afraid to poke at the bottom with a small screw-driver to check for rusty soft spots - again ask before doing, but make an argument if they say no.

Also check the spare-tire compartment in the trunk for rust, and while you're there check for water in the trunk which could mean a bad rear window seal and rust!

RUST RUST RUST!!!!

If it looks good ask the owner if you can take it to a shop to be inspected - have them do a compression test. If the owner says no, tell them that doing this is a standard procedure and walk away if they still say no! (of course be specific though, tell them where you would like to take it and give them all the details)

 

Also, you should look for a model, if you can made after 82. These will have the turbo engines in them and are much more pleasant to drive. That's not to say the non turbos aren't good cars, I had a 79 300d as my daily driver for 2 years, but the turbos do much better on fuel and have more power.

 

Best advice- find someone with a well maintained 300d. Drive that to see what if feels like and hear how it sounds. Then take the owner of that car with you to look at it.

Also- you get what you pay for AND
there is no such thing as a cheap mercedes!

 

Thank you for the awesome replies everyone!

I'll share theeBay listing that inspired me to finally make an account and ask questions. I'm 90% sure that I won't be bidding on this car so I don't mind letting others know about it. Hopefully someone else can cherish this car.

A few things about the listing make me nervous:

1. The owner only says what the milage is, but doesn't provide a close-up picture of the odometer.
2. No underbody shot(s) to show rust or lack thereof.
3. It looks like the engine has been steam or power cleaned so you can't see the normal grime from driving. What is leaking I wonder?
4. No maintenance reports have been provided. Looking at his eBay history, it seems like he flips cars on eBay but also noteworthy is his very good record.

The owner told me he has received local bids for $4,000 and is looking for $5,000 on the low end. What do you guys and gals think this is worth?

 

Pretty puckerd up rear seats for only 122K. Front ones don't thrill either.
Dent in front hood, looks like a repaint to me. Where is the car from? Could be a bondo special!

 

Pretty puckerd up rear seats for only 122K. Front ones don't thrill either.

That was also something that caught my eye - those seats are in far worse shape than the rest of the car seems to be. It makes me a little nervous.

Dent in front hood, looks like a repaint to me. Where is the car from? Could be a bondo special!

Another quark - I've not seen that color for this model before although I definitely don't know everything. Anyoen else have any info on the car color?

 

Walk away from that car, keep looking.

Way too pricey, it's a 115 chassis.

 

How can you tell it is a 115? From the front end design? Do the first three numbers of the VIN tell what model the car is, or is that just coincidence? Also, none of the pics show the back end numbers, but there is a "300" visible in one of the pics. Although that can be changed cheaply. Thoughts?

Overall, any more details you would like to share on why you think it is not a good deal? And at what price were you referring to as too expensive? $5,000 or the current bid ~$2,500?

 

Yes, a 115 from the front end design and year, still it's a 3 litre diesel, or 300 D. A 123 looks like the one in the pic.

I think even $2500 is too much. Often these things get re-listed at a lower price, but not always.

The seat wear indicates MUCH more mileage than 122,000. 4 matching tires! WOW! Bid often, just another red flag. Please disregard this car.

1977 was the first year for the 123 chassis:
Mercedes Chassis & Engine Identification Chart

 

!st yr for the W123 is 77.

Check out youtube for some nice vid clips on the making of the W123, interesting.

 

Hey, Rmac, I don't recognize that number plate. Where's that car from, New Jersey, or New Hemp-shirt?

 

New Hemp-shirt?

 

lol, I'm not sure why I did that, I have different plates now anyway.

Maybe I was too hard on the 115, but I just don't like it's looks. Also, it has many old systems in place, making repair work more involved than a 123.

NBK, if you like it, pick it up.

 

Well, I do like the front end of the 76 W115, but really don't know anything about their reliability. They're probably quite good, but I know the W123 sold many more cars, so there are more parts available. I'm patient and don't need a car ASAP, so I will wait and continue my search until I find a 77-85 W123 300D that fits my specifications and price range. I'll keep everyone updated and thank you for the info thus far!

So to build a list of the things to check before getting it professionally inspected when looking at a used 300D:

• Check for rust under the car, under the battery (take it out to see), on the exterior of the car, the jack holes, spare tire compartment.
• Check the blowby (unscrew the oil cap but leave it on) to see how the compression is. If it jiggles a tiny bit or doesn't move it all, it's a winner! If it looks like the cap is gonna fly off, walk away!
• See how it shifts when driving.
• Ensure all doors lock and unlock, all windows and sunroof open and close w/o problems.
• Check if windows leaks, including the front and back windshields. Check the trunk for water leaks.
• Starts ok from a cold state. Check the engine to see if it is warm before you start it.

 

Another thing I have been wondering about is how people will perceive me driving around in a Mercedes? I am pretty young (24) and if I'm driving around in a good condition "classic looking" Mercedes I think some people might think I am hoity-toity(sp?) and that isn't particularly a feature I would like to have attached to my reputation. I might be overanalyzing it, but a friend mentioned it jokingly. He said it jokingly, but there is some truth to it. People might think negatively, "Oh he drives a Benz".

What have been people's experience with an issue like this? Do you think people perceive you differently if you arrive in a Benz vs. a Honda or whatever and how does their perception change, positively or negatively?

 

You should not worry about being young and driving a car that's probably older than you. Heck, my first W123 get together in southern CA with some of the boys in this group were almost all in our 20's back then.

Some of the W115 problems (rust, climate control, vacuum issues, etc) might be similar to the W123 because the W123 basically was a more modern W115. However, the 300D '76 W115 will have the older style glow system, which means it takes much longer to warm up the glow plugs than the later W123 model glow system, which takes maybe a few seconds tops depending on where you live. In the colder regions it definitely takes longer.

Also note that the odometer on these are one digit shorter than the ones in the W123. That said, it's possible there is complete documentation of this. It's also possible there isn't (or maybe the owner has missed 100,000 miles and it's actually 200k+ miles instead.

 

You point out a couple of interesting things here.

Others Opinions:
I guess I should have been clearer. I'm not worried about driving a car that is older than me, but that a young dude has enough money to drive that classic and expensive looking benz and the potential negative reputation repercussions. I may just be overly concerned (I probably am), but it's something to consider.

Glow System:
How long does it actually take to start a car with glow plugs? Is it a 1-3 second wait or is it a minute? What's the difference in wait time between the W115 vs. the W123? I don't really know, I've never driven a diesel car and I do live in a colder place (West Virginia) and when I get a job my car must be reliable enough to start in the frigid morning air without being plugged in (street parking) and get me to work everyday. None of this, oh it's too cold for the glow plugs to work business.

Odometer:
Yea, I'm skeptical about this as well. Why is everything pretty nice looking, but all the seats are at a different level of quality? It seems suspicious. So, I wonder, is there a way to test this? Is it ~122,000 miles or ~222,000 miles?? That is a huge difference.

W115:
How different are the W115s compared to the W123s? As you say the W123s are a more modern W115, but are the W115s really durable and reliable like the W123s? Are there ample parts available for the W115, at least relative to the W123? Are they as easy to work on? Could I do repairs with my limited auto knowledge?


I'm sure this is a fun car to drive and looks pretty sweet, but I need reliability and I'm cheap, so an old W123 300D in good condition seems like a reasonable choice, plus they are stylish. But the 76 W115 300D, I think looks a more stylish.

 

^ (NBK) Don't concern yourself with what others think.

 

The 123's are very durable themselves and because they're newer, more parts are available at the local junk yards.

You can install modern glow plugs in that car, I highly recommend doing so. The ones in there are the series type, this means if one is bad, none will glow, you're assured of not starting.

A modern glow plug set up takes 30 seconds for a complete cycle, depending on temperature, the dash light will stay on for varying times.

 

The 123's are very durable themselves and because
A modern glow plug set up takes 30 seconds for a complete cycle, depending on temperature, the dash light will stay on for varying times.

30 seconds to start huh? Is that about the normal time for glow plugs on a W123? Or what is a "complete cycle"? Is that from when you put the key in the car and then wait for the signal to show it's ok start, then you actually start the car? So a 30 second wait depending on the temperature?


Also, I've come across this 1984 W123 300D: 1984 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbo Diesel - You will be extremely happy!!

Here's an album of the photos as well: http://s1167.photobucket.com/albums/q632/xoxialight/?start=all

What do you guys think?

 

No, 30 seconds is a complete cycle, the relay will stop energizing the glow plugs, you'll hear a click and any lights on will get brighter.
The dash light is a good indication, it varies on temp, but rarely longer than 10 seconds.

The black one looks pretty good and depending on actual miles, is a good price too.

 

No, 30 seconds is a complete cycle, the relay will stop energizing the glow plugs, you'll hear a click and any lights on will get brighter.
The dash light is a good indication, it varies on temp, but rarely longer than 10 seconds.

Good info thanks!

The black one looks pretty good and depending on actual miles, is a good price too.

Yea, the dash change and thus no solid history on the actual miles makes it more difficult...

Thoughts on this one:
Mercedes-Benz : 300-Series Mercedes-Benz : 300-Series | eBay

 

The one in post #33 looks good too. Concerning the black one, go by condition, all those pics make it seem to be a well keep example.

 

Probably would do alright w either one. Let us know what you decide. Both are very clean rust free SW cars, can't really do any better than that!

Good luck,
Dave

 

wow that car looks really nice!!!!!!!!!

they say it's all original paint BUT it looks like the passenger doors have a lot of "orange-peel" to be original - definitely look like at least the passenger doors have been re-painted at some point.

and there is some more "orange-peel" on the back - look to the right of the licence plate:

Do a car-fax maybe. Regardless however it looks like a great car!

p.s. it's easier to see it on the larger pics in the CL posting